Employability Pipeline

Services and support within each Local Authority, Jobcentre
Plus or Health Board area.

Work Experience

Work experience is an opportunity for people out of work to
experience first hand what working in a particular job or for a
particular employer is like. Not only does it enable individuals to
assess whether a job or employer meets their expectations, work
experience also has many benefits for individuals - including:

Build confidence.

Establish a daily work routine.

Learn new skills.

Increase understanding of the labour market.

Chance to prove that they are valuable and productive workers,
which could lead to a job.

Potentially gain a reference from an employer.

For work experience to be effective, it needs to be properly
planned, with the individual and the employer both committed to the
work experience placement. Good practice suggests (
CIPD, 2012):

The placement is tailored to the individual's needs and
circumstances. This includes finding out what they want to get out
of the placement, which skills they want to develop, what barriers
they face and what their career aspirations are.

There is clarity about the role that the individual plays in
the organisation and how they will be supported, supervised and
mentored.

Expectations are managed, the individual knows what they will
contribute, whether there are any job opportunities or not, and how
the employer might be able to help build their CV.

The individual is treated as an active member of staff, but the
placement is not used to fill a vacancy.

The individual is introduced to the structure of working life;
helped to learn and to develop a range of transferable skills,
personal qualities and competencies which will contribute towards
their employability.

The individual is encouraged to relate their experiences and
skills to the workplace and supported in making a more informed
decision about their future. They receive open and honest feedback
about what went well and what areas need to be improved and, if
possible, advice on how to do this.

The employer clearly explains up front what their expectations
are - e.g. show an interest in the organisation and the industry;
make the most of the opportunity; demonstrate a willingness to
learn; respect the values of the host organisation; and abide by
the rules.

The employer works closely with the individual to make sure
they use the placement to find out about the different employment
options available and how to access them, including recruitment
processes, and support them in building a network of contacts.

Work experience is strongly encouraged amongst school pupils and
it is becoming an increasingly important component of interventions
aimed at getting people towards and into sustainable employment.
Examples of work experience programmes include: